Delight Yourself in the Lord

My 10 year old "niece" is emailing me on her vacation to Florida. 

          And I think I wish I was on vacation with my daughter.

My 7 year old niece sings her heart out at church and is as sweet as can be.

          And I think what if I had a little girl singing her heart out.

My friend's little boys make eggs on the stoves.

          And I wish I was teaching my little boys to make eggs.

My 13 year old "niece" made her first quilt with my help.

          And I wish I was teaching my daughter to quilt.

My teenage "nieces" and I went to the movies to see Hidden Figures.

          And I wish I was watching movies with my teenage children and talking about civil rights issues with them.

2 things strike me.

God doesn't give us what we want all the time.  He will give us the desires of our heart. But when you are following Jesus wholeheartedly, our desire becomes to see Him glorified no matter what our life circumstances are.  He doesn't promise marriage. He doesn't promise children.  He promises a life complete in Him.

If I look at my desires and flip them around, how fortunate am I?  

My friend's daughter chooses to email her "Aunt" Ginger on her vacation.  (She also chooses to be fascinated by moss and squirrels on her vacation.....) 

My niece loves to sit with Monique and I and sing alongside us.  She loves to be with us.

I am just getting to know my friend's boys and yet they were already talking to me and playing with me.  We will be best friends before you know it.

I got to see the joy and excitement and hard work and generosity of my 13 year old "niece" making a quilt.  And let's be honest, if I was her mom, we may have spent a portion of our day fighting.  Instead it was just a lovely day.

The 16 year old and I have planned to see Hidden Figures since we saw the previews.  She chose to see it with me not her friends.

So maybe my life isn't what I would naturally choose.  But it is good. And God is good.